Portal de Los Alcazares

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The Civil Guard dismantles a criminal group dedicated to the irregular registration of foreign citizens (19/02/2018)

Two of the arrested used the businesses that ran to attract foreign citizens, who charged up to 300 euros for processing the census

Once counted, foreigners could apply for residence permits, social assistance, health care and other municipal and state benefits

The Civil Guard of the Region of Murcia, within the framework of the operation 'MALACE', has developed an investigation aimed at clarifying some supposed scams in the registration of foreign citizens in the municipal registry of Los Alcázares, which has culminated with the dismantling of a criminal group, whose five members have been arrested as alleged perpetrators of crimes against workers' rights, fraud and falsification of documents.

The investigation began last November, when the Civil Guard had news of alleged irregular enumerations in the municipal census of that town.

The Benemérita knew that a considerable number of foreign citizens had obtained the certificate of registration in housing in which, apparently, they did not get to reside.

This information made us suspect that behind these anomalies there could be an alleged fraud aimed at obtaining economic benefits, in exchange for facilitating the regularization in the municipal census of foreign citizens in an irregular situation.

The enumeration allowed the petitioners to access different types of economic and welfare benefits, both municipal and state, such as social assistance, free health care and obtaining residence permits, among others.

About thirty people registered in two dwellings

The investigators gathered the necessary information and found out that around thirty people of foreign nationality appeared in the applications for registration and discharge in the municipal register, even though they had not resided in the reference homes.

The documentation obtained allowed the Civil Guard to determine that three Spanish citizens, owners of both houses, had accompanied the foreigners to the municipal offices to present false lease documents, knowing that the alleged tenants would use the buildings.

Once the necessary information has been gathered, the Benemérita has detained three men, aged 38, 52 and 78, residents of Los Alcázares and Torre Pacheco, as alleged perpetrators of the crimes of fraud and forgery.

Organized group expert in these criminal practices

With the advance of the investigation, the Civil Guard has found out that behind these scams there was a perfectly organized group, led by a foreign citizen with a history of crimes of the same nature that, supposedly, was dedicated to offer others their registration in exchange of 300 euros.

This, together with his daughter, captured his 'clients' through two commercial establishments that ran in the municipality.

Later, they contacted the owners of the properties that provided the necessary documentation to obtain the corresponding certificate of registration.

Once identified, the Civil Guard has detained two foreign citizens of 45 and 20 years, father and daughter, residents of Los Alcázares as alleged perpetrators of crimes as alleged perpetrators of crimes against the rights of foreign citizens, fraud and documentary falsity.

In the registry of the commercial establishments run by them, different personal documentation of foreign citizens, supposedly interested in obtaining the registration certificate, has been located.

Double benefit

The investigation developed has determined that the chicanery used by the now detainees allowed both the owners of the houses, who received a small commission for their collaboration, as well as the false tenants who, knowing their falsehood, could benefit. such as obtaining a health card, requests for family reunification, etc ...

The operation 'MALACE' has concluded with the dismantling of a criminal group, based in the municipality of Los Alcázares, dedicated to fraud and fraud in the alteration of the municipal census of Los Alcázares, for the irregular obtaining of certificates of registration, for which they used the situation of vulnerability and irregular stay in the national territory of their compatriots.

Those arrested and the proceedings ordered have been made available to the Court of Instruction of San Javier (Murcia).